Rats! Alberta sees spike of rat sightings in 2020, but it may look worse than it really is
CALGARY -- Alberta saw a spike of rat reports in 2020, double what is received in a typical year but it turns out it's not as bad as it sounds. Out of 481 reported rat sightings in 2020, only 26 year were confirmed to actually be rats. More often than not, the reported sightings have turned out to be other rodents – mostly muskrats - as opposed to Norway rats or roof rats. Karen Wickerson, specialist at Alberta’s Rat Control Program says that they usually receive a couple of reports daily with increases during the spring and fall, as that’s when muskrats are most active.